By Biodun Busari

The new leader of the Scotland National Party (SNP), Humza Yousaf has been legally sworn in as the country’s new first minister on Wednesday.

According to Sky News, the 37-year-old is the sixth politician to occupy the position and will now be the Keeper of the Scottish Seal after taking the oath of office and pledging his allegiance to the King.

Vanguard reported on Monday that Yousaf was elected as the SNP leader after defeating his rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan to replace Nicola Sturgeon.  

Having been sworn in, he keeps the seal which allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each one.

As the Keeper of the Scottish Seal, Yousaf now has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the crown, which effectively means he can lead the country with the support of the Scottish Parliament.

The ceremony took place at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning.

Yousaf, who also replaced Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader, is the youngest person to hold the post and has made history as the first from an ethnic minority background to be appointed to the position.

After his emergence as the SNP leader, Yousaf, Tuesday, insisted he would argue “vigorously for independence”, but also said he would work with the United Kingdom government “where I can, when I can, in the best interests of our nation”.